WALES will not talk about winning the World Cup during the build-up to the tournament – even though Warren Gatland is not a man to shy away from bold statements.

Instead the Kiwi insists their approach will be one of quiet confidence, the aim being to break Wales’ ambitions up into manageable chunks.

Gatland explained: “I think if you set goals you have to be realistic.

“We are not going to come out and say our goal is to win the World Cup.

“At the back of our minds we definitely think that if we are lucky with injuries and play to our potential then we’ve got a chance.

“But you have to take it bit by bit.

“We’ll target South Africa in that first game and then if you happen to win your group then all of a sudden the quarter-final potentially becomes a bit easier and then you’re into a semi-final and so on. Those are our goals. You never know what is going to happen.

“But we are certainly not going to start shouting that we’re going to New Zealand to win the World Cup.”

Gatland emphasised once again how beneficial he believes this summer’s tour to New Zealand will prove in a year’s time.

“Coming back from New Zealand this summer, not many players had been there before and it was a great experience for them all,” he said. “I think the players have come away from that trip with a lot of confidence and a belief that, on our day, we are not too far away.

“We have seen we can compete with one of the best teams in the world in their backyard, although we know we have improvements to make.”